The Past is Now
by KeDe
Summary: An unexpected visitor shows up at the Barkley ranch.


Assuming it was one of the boys or Audra, Victoria thought nothing of the shadow that fell over her as she was on her knees, cutting roses that were hanging low on the rose bush in the garden.

"This the Barkley ranch?"

The voice was unfamiliar and unfriendly, so that it startled Victoria. She stood up, turning to greet the stranger. She was surprised to see a Negro who was about 25 years old standing before her. While his clothes weren't of the quality her own sons wore, they were nevertheless clean and neat. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him.

"I'm here to see Uncle Silas."

"Hello. I'm Victoria Barkley. You're Silas' nephew?" That's why he looked familiar.

"Yessum. Is he here?"

"Of course. I'll get him."

_"__Of course_," the stranger mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Victoria said, taken aback at the apparent brashness of this stranger. "What's your name?"

"Percy Jones."

Victoria stared at him a long moment, wondering if she should put him in his place. However, for Silas' sake she decided against it. She was curious about this relative of Silas'. Even though Silas had been with the family for years, Victoria had never heard of Percy, but then she didn't know much about Silas' family. "Why don't you come into the house out of the sun?"

Victoria led Percy through the double doors and into the parlor. Nick was at the desk going over some paperwork. He looked up.

"Nick, this is Percy Jones—"

"Hello, Percy. You looking for work?"

"Percy is Silas' nephew," Victoria answered. "He's here to see him."

At that moment Silas came in bearing a tray with glasses and a pitcher of lemonade. "Mrs. Barkley, I was just—" He stopped when he saw Percy. "Lawd, have mercy!"

Nick reached for the tray and put it on the desk.

"Hey, there, Uncle Silas!" Percy's voice did not convey the warmth one would expect from a long lost relative.

"What you doin' here?" Silas asked.

Victoria and Nick traded looks.

"I was passing through and thought I'd stop in."

"Passing through from where?" Nick asked, the suspicion apparent in his voice.

"No place in particular."

"Percy is my sister's boy," Silas said, as if to answer an unasked question and to relieve the tension in the room.

"I ain't a boy, Uncle Silas. I ain't been a boy for a long time."

"Would you like some lemonade, Percy?" Victoria asked, looking to diffuse the situation, whatever the situation was. "Or perhaps something to eat?"

"That's very kind of you Mrs. Barkley," Silas said, not taking his eyes off of his nephew. "But Percy gon' be leaving now."

"Silas, what's going on here?" Nick wanted to know.

Victoria waved her hand at Nick to calm him. Nick was always ready to pounce whenever he sensed danger. "Silas, why don't you take Percy out to the kitchen and get him some of that delicious roast beef we had for lunch. He must be ravenous."

"Yes, Mrs. Barkley," Silas said, grudgingly as he led Percy off to the kitchen.

"What the heck was that about?" Nick asked.

Victoria ran her hand through her hair. "I have no idea."

"Harrumphed!" Nick said. "If Silas doesn't like him, that's good enough for me!"

"Well, it's not good enough for me!" Victoria said. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"No, I'm not. He's up to no good. I could tell it right away."

"There's a story there, and I'd like to know what it is."

"Mother, we have no right intruding in Silas' personal business."

"Why Nick, are you mellowing?"

Nick dismissed this notion with a wave of his hand. "He could be here wanting, expecting something."

"Don't you think we owe him, them, something?"

"No, I don't. We practically treat Silas as a part of the family."

"Do we really, Nick?"

Nick again waved his hand in dismissal. "Once this Percy Whatever-his-last-name-is has eaten, we need to send him on his way."

Victoria considered this. She didn't want to interfere in Silas' family business. He was a good judge of character, and if he didn't want his nephew around, then that should be good enough for her. Only it wasn't.

"Mother?" Nick said, sighing. "What's on your mind?"

End of chapter 1

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